Lilys Restaurant, Seven Hills.

What’s this? Another birthday? Another voucher? Oh we have been so blessed!

This voucher takes us to Lilys Restaurant, located in Seven Hills- not normally a place I’d venture to. Lilys is a company that designs project homes, is a major sponsor of a multipurpose stadium and now owns a function centre, bar and restaurant that specializes in wood fired pizza. 

On our way into the restaurant was a gorgeous little function room set up either for the next up and coming event or simply just for display purposes. 
 

It was on a Wednesday night so the place was pretty quiet.

Entrées:

We began with a garlic Crostini Di Pizza (pizza crust) with 3 dips: olive tapenade, capsicum chilli paste and sun dried tomato dip for $12. 

It was a great starter that came out quickly. After lots of table discussion we could not decide on which dip was the best. They were all quite good- my favourite would have been the olive tapenade.

The pizza crust was wonderfully crisp and golden with some chew in the middle. The garlic was strong enough to linger afterwards (I like a lot of garlic).

The next entrée was Funghi Trifolati (Sauteed mixed mushrooms tossed with a dash of champagne and Mediterranean flavours) for $12.

This was a lovely little dish that came out in a small cast iron skillet. Great as an entrée for one to two people and a taste test for six people.

There was a mix of mushrooms –mainly king oyster and white mushrooms that was tossed in a salty buttery champagne sauce with sweet cherry tomatoes and slightly bitter rocket. 

Mains:

There we so many things we wanted to try so all dishes were ordered to share.

While there were still mushrooms on the table, the pizza came out from the wood fire oven in all its steaming glory. These guys were efficient! Much appreciated!

We ordered the $18 mid week pizza on special: Pizza Supreme – with capsicum, mushroom, onion, ham, peperoni, olives and cabanossi. 

It was heavy with incredients and yet the base was not soggy. Once you’ve had a good woodfire pizza it’s hard to go back to the usual takeaway/delivery pizza places.

A Chicken Caesar Salad ($17) came out soon after. We were surprised and delighted when out came a plate of salad that was straddled by large grilled medallions of chicken breast on either side. The Caesar dressing and Parmesan were generous. We thought it was good value!

We ordered another $18 mid week special- Bistecca alla griglia. i.e steak with chips and salad. It was standard pub food I say. I wasn’t too impressed with it and I think my photo reflected that.

The final dish for the night was the Seafood Platter for Two ($135) which could easily feed 3 people if nothing else was ordered that night. I apologise for the poor photos. This dinner party was not going to wait for any wannabe food blogger and I did not want to miss out!
 

The seafood platter consisted of a full lobster, several large very sweet scampi, soft shelled crab, oysters, scallops, a mountain of calamari, marinated bbq octopus and juicy prawns. The top tier was filled with steamed veggies and two bowls of garden salad on the side. My favourites would be the scampi, soft shelled crab, prawns and oysters. Wait – that’s most of the dish isn’t it?

 

Would we come back? I probably would if I lived closer! If we do go back again,I would focus on ordering the pizza and pizza crusts since they do specialize in their wood fired pizzas. 

Lilys Restaurant
162 Prospect Highway
Seven Hills NSW 2147
Phone: 02 8818 5555

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Urban Food Store + Cafe, Canberra

 

We had just finished a 4 day long conference and needed to zone out before the drive home.  A coffee and tasty lunch was in order.

Across from our hotel was Urban Food Store+ Cafe which was just perfect because it was raining heavily outside. Ahh… it was going to be a good trip up.

Top: Mocha. Bottom: Skim Cappuccino

Coffee and mochas were $3.90 for a small. My friend ordered the mocha and I the skinny capp.

The blend was dark, smooth and rather mild. In the broad spectrum of coffees I’ve had it comes in as ‘ok -> good’; but the caffeine sure hit the spot.

 

The Hungries came and I ordered the special of the day: the Mo Burger for $15. It took 20-30 minutes to come out but when it did, I knew why. Fast food it was not.

The chips were delicious and golden – chunky potato strips tossed in rosemary and salt. Some of the best chips lots I’ve ever had.

 

The burger came with a tall stake through it because it was made so high!

It was definitely worth the wait. The bread was crusty on the outside, it was high and big oval air pockets all the way through it. It was so tasty and spread with butter that I would have been happy eating it by itself.

Next time you’re in Canberra and have over an hour or so for lunch, I recommend visiting Urban Food.

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Oliver Brown - Top Ryde

It's 9pm and one of those nights where you go out with a friend and you come to the realisation that dinner just wasn't enough.
Thank goodness Oliver Brown had arrived in Top Ryde.
Chocolate always has the ability to hit the spot and it was open til late which suited us perfectly. Oliver Brown opened in Top Ryde late 2010 but this was my first visit to the chocolate cafe.

The atmosphere was one where friendships were consolidated. Small happy groups gathered around tables laden with mugs of steaming hot chocolate and plates of waffles.
Lots of waffles.

So we ordered the waffles to see what all the fuss was about.
2 waffles with ice cream please! Nice and simple.

Yum. yum yum yum. 2 thick crispy waffles came out with TWO scoops of ice cream and strawberries all over.
I absolutely loved the chocolate ice cream - decadent and creamy with choc chips.
The vanilla was nice and creamy and went so well with the waffles.

Oh the waffles.

2 waffles with ice cream

Waffles.
They were amazing. Crunchy on the outside with bits of chocolate all the way through. Paired with the drizzled chocolate and I was in heaven.
(and then the gym afterwards)

Iced Chocolate

I ordered the iced chocolate and I have to say it was competitive with Lindt's. And $1-2 cheaper....it came out infront.




My friend ordered a skinny capp (calorie balancing) which came with drizzled chocolate over the top and a cute teaspoon filled with mini chocolate buttons.

I can't wait to go back again
Mmmm....waffles....



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Punt Road: Airlie Bank 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

This gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc from Punt Road Wines comes at $16-$20 per bottle with its alcohol content being 11.5%.

A perfect wine for lunch or a late afternoon gossip.
Plucked from the Yarra Valley in Victoria, its cool climate grapes were pressed to hold its young pale yellow colour and clarity.
Read more about the wine here at Punt Road's official site.

On the nose: Honey melon and subtle fresh cut flowers

Colour: pale yellow, almost translucent with a hint of green. A colour that screems its youth.
 
Palate: ok. The nose is more memorable than the taste because it's such a subtle wine. I enjoy the mild oak due that is possibly due to its 'partial barrel fermentation' process. It's floral on the palate as well as the nose - as floral as dragon fruit.

What did I drink it with?
I found this went well with Japanese inspired Asian dishes. We had fried salmon cutlets (medium done) with a simple sweet black soy dressing. I found it also went well with the Asian water spinach stirred with garlic, shiitake mushrooms and miso paste.


Would I buy and drink this again?
Definitely. It's a nice wine to have with a couple of friends who appreciate the intricacy and delicacies of life.

Great Century Restaurant, Bankstown

There's nothing like a good Chinese seafood restaurant where the prices are low, the wait staff are friendly and the tea is fragrant.

We now enter Great Century Restaurant, one of the many great places to eat in Bankstown. During the weekends it's bustling with families coming in for good value yum cha while weeknights are a lot quieter with few families coming for a good dinner, utilising the mid week specials on the mud crab and lobster.
We are promptly greeted by the manager who took us to a round table, asking us how we've been and if we're here for seafood again tonight. Oh yes...why else would we come?





Jasmine tea is ordered for  our table and a small plate of fried salted peanuts come out.

I dont know what is considered culturally appropriate or rude, but it's fun and challenging to pick peanuts up with chopsticks rather than stick your fingers in the plate.






The tea is fragrant and not at all burnt which is how all restaurants should serve their tea. But sadly many chinese restaurants scald their tea and serve a cheaper grade tea stem that turns bitter on tasting.

I much prefer tea where the leaves are long and full, where you can see jasmine petals and the fragrance transfers to the taste. This was good tea.
 While the tea was being served conversation began about the crab. There was the usual king crab versus mud crab, option of lobster and how we wanted it cooked. I appreciate coming here on quiet nights as we have more time to talk to the waiters, each of them well educated with how the chef cooks the crab and each of them with opinions on the best way of eating crab. They approved of our choice but encourage us to try different styles when we come back next time.




We were in luck as they were also serving Peking Duck tonight which came out quickly after a second plate of peanuts was ordered.  As it was my mum's birthday, we did not hesitate to go all out.


Carvings of duck on warm pancakes were generous with a good crispy skin to meat ratio.

 

A squeeze of hoi-sin sauce, a stalk of spring onion, a slice of cucumber and voila!
 
Two tasty juicy peking duck packages for each person.
The left over duck is sent back to the kitchen to be cut and presented properly.




In the meantime, a large platter of chilli mud crab comes out. Its red and orange and piled up high.

There is no way to eat this with class so chopsticks are left by the side of the plate and fingers come out to hold up the large pieces of crab.
 
The sweet spicy sauce is mixed with garlic and congealed with egg. Its lapped up quickly. The shell of the crab is hard and meat is white, firm and sweet - a sign of a freshness.
 


 The duck comes back again in another large plate and we attack it quickly, the drumsticks disappearing first.




A hot pot of combination tofu comes out "to fu poh". The sauce is soaked up by the tofu and the bottom of the pot reveals the vegetables we need to balance the meal. Not a wow dish but it doesnt disappoint. You will find wom bok cabbage, mushrooms, carrot, ginger, chicken, BBQ pork, calamari, scallops and prawns. It's a bit pricey nearing $20.

Three dishes were all we could muster tonight. We've learnt the long way many times not to over order for out family. Before we signaled for the bill a plate of sweet orange slices and a plate of almond & peanut cookies were served up.

 

 


The biscuits were a lovely way to end the night as we rolled out of the restaurant and into the carpark.



 Great Century Restaurant can be found on 23 Greenfield Parade, Bankstown NSW 2200, Australia
+61 2 9796 3366 ‎ 


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Rothbury Estate Wine: Shiraz Cabernet at The Little Snail

I'm not a big red wine drinker and I put that down to my level of palate immaturity and impatience. "Oh it gets better after a few swallows" some say. Yeh right. Try a few glasses.
Alas they were right and I was wrong.
My appreciation of the Rothbury Estate Shiraz Cabernet @ The Little Snail did improve after some warmth and aeration.

On the eyes: A beautiful magenta progressing to a fuschia on its meniscus. Its a colour that you can stare at and get lost in its depths. But not too long! My eyes began to burn and water as the high alcohol content of 13.5% stripped the outer epithelium of my corneas. Note to self: Close your eyes when appreciating the nose. Not a wine recommended for those who have undergone corneal transplants, cataract or refractive surgery in the last week.

On the nose: Moderate tannins folded into the sweetness of the shiraz. It was quite rich and fruity.

On the palate: All I could appreciate in the first swallow was the burning eyes and sides of the throat until the tannins subsided. Then the warm rich deep fruit came out. Reminded me of a raspberry-rhubarb crumble on a winters night in front of the tv.
What did I have it with? At first I had it by itself as it was the last bottle standing on the table (not a popular one with my family- and looking around the restaurant it was a similar story). Mum had a glass with her Beef Tenderloin Fillet but shuddered stopped drinking. I guess it must not have matched well - which was quite odd.


I then had it with bites of my dessert a Banana Liquer Crepe filled with mascarpone cream and strawberry compote. I hesitated but i found the wine went well with the dessert. It brought depth to the strawberries but masked and took over the banana liquer which was unfortunate.






On a side note, if you ever do go to The Little Snail while in Sydney you must try the Kahlua infused chocolate mousse. It is amazing. Outer casing of rich dark tempered chocolate and the richest mousse I've ever tasted. It was so creamy with little chocolate shaved flecks mixed in. Ahh... hold it in your mouth and feel it melt :)

Overall we had a lovely night of fine French food with good wine - the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and the Shiraz Cabernet from Rothbury Estate, topped off with an amazing fireworks display in Darling Harbour as we walked back to our car. Thank you Sydney!




The Little Snail can be found at:
50 Murray St, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia

+61 2 9212 7512 ‎

thelittlesnail.com.au

 

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Rothbury Estate Wine: Semillon Sauvignon Blanc at The Little Snail

A birthday dinner on Saturday called for a night at The Little Snail.


For $58 you get an Entree, Main & Dessert per person. We fortunately had vouchers from www.scoopon.com.au/sydney that got us dinner for 2 with a bottle of Rothbury Estate Wine at $69 for two people.

One white and one red please!
And out came a bottle of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and a Shiraz Cabernet.



The SSB went beautifully with the mounds of escargot and seafood that was ordered. It's pale hay bale colour visually complimenting the beautiful escargot shells (Entree) and lightly battered calamari and soft shell crab; while enhancing the red of the mild chilli in the mussels and mesclun salad in the Seafood platter (main).


The nose was fresh with a very delicate hint of lime and tropical fruit.

Mini taste before the food: Hmmm....Un-oaked. I like.

I took one bite of the righteous buttery garlic infused Escargot and a sip of SSB.

And wow! Perfect compliment. Bright sweet flavours of a summer tropical punch came through and further enhanced the Escargot. The story continued with the seafood platter with the fresh lime from the Semillon side of the SSB cutting through the creamy aoili and the soft shell crab's beer batter.
(Clockwise from foreground: garlic prawns, mesclun salad, beer battered soft shell crab, salt and pepper squid, chilli mussels)
(Other side of the seafood platter- and I apologise for the poor photo: medium grilled salmon, aioli and sweet chilli sauce)

The Semillon Sauvignon Blanc was a popular one on the table and we finished the bottle well before the Dessert came.

At approximately $10 a bottle I say buy it!


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